Comments on: Green Light for Station Project http://davewrites.com/green_light_for_station_project/ about technology, life and an imperative to create something better Fri, 18 May 2012 01:01:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: tson of westwood http://davewrites.com/green_light_for_station_project/comment-page-1/#comment-297 tson of westwood Fri, 03 Aug 2007 18:39:32 +0000 #comment-297 Dave<br /> <br /> Can I assume that you do not live near the project . <br /> <br /> Remember last Friday with the manhole cover, on rte 128. After WS that will calm trafficic day on rte 128. I hope you enjoy your home you not be able to leave it <br /> <br /> <em>Reply from Dave: I live in the Islington area (I remember when that truck hit the overpass too) but I already avoid 128 as much as possible during the week by commuting by train or bike whenever possible. IF WS is successful and pulls in a lot of traffic, yes, I suspect Saturday afternoons might be a mess--like they already are on Route 1. But this project seems designed to lessen the traffic problems that have come out of piecemeal development.</em> Dave

Can I assume that you do not live near the project .

Remember last Friday with the manhole cover, on rte 128. After WS that will calm trafficic day on rte 128. I hope you enjoy your home you not be able to leave it

Reply from Dave: I live in the Islington area (I remember when that truck hit the overpass too) but I already avoid 128 as much as possible during the week by commuting by train or bike whenever possible. IF WS is successful and pulls in a lot of traffic, yes, I suspect Saturday afternoons might be a mess–like they already are on Route 1. But this project seems designed to lessen the traffic problems that have come out of piecemeal development.

]]> By: Concerned Westwood Resident http://davewrites.com/green_light_for_station_project/comment-page-1/#comment-296 Concerned Westwood Resident Sun, 22 Jul 2007 22:58:03 +0000 #comment-296 I was strongly in support of the petitioners at town meeting for many reasons. I have attended every planning board meeting and not once witnessed a member of the planning board actually ask the developer a hard line question. I have witnessed numerous residents get up and ask legitimate questions only to be ignored. I was outraged at how the EDAB, the Selectmen and the Developer used resources to fight for the incumbents in the planning board election. The developer even promised the day before the election to address senior housing. It has since been dropped from the table. The town was promised in 2005 a 50 acre Newbury Street development and is getting 145 acres of big box stores. It is a disgrace and the impact on the schools and public infrastructure including public safety will be a nightmare.<br /> <br /> <em>Response from Dave: Thanks for your comment. I agree with you on the scare tactics employed on the planning board election; it seemed a bit weird for the town to say, ok, we have an election, but don't vote out the incumbents or it will screw everything up.<br /> <br /> I think the trouble here is that community development like this is hard to vote on--it turns into yes or no questions that a crowd of potentially uninformed people have to vote on. I would think the solution would be to create some kind of ongoing working group to work through the issues. And it seems like the town and developer has been trying to do that...but not in a way that effectively involves everyone who wants to be involved. I'll post more to this blog as I have time to think about it more tonight.</em> I was strongly in support of the petitioners at town meeting for many reasons. I have attended every planning board meeting and not once witnessed a member of the planning board actually ask the developer a hard line question. I have witnessed numerous residents get up and ask legitimate questions only to be ignored. I was outraged at how the EDAB, the Selectmen and the Developer used resources to fight for the incumbents in the planning board election. The developer even promised the day before the election to address senior housing. It has since been dropped from the table. The town was promised in 2005 a 50 acre Newbury Street development and is getting 145 acres of big box stores. It is a disgrace and the impact on the schools and public infrastructure including public safety will be a nightmare.

Response from Dave: Thanks for your comment. I agree with you on the scare tactics employed on the planning board election; it seemed a bit weird for the town to say, ok, we have an election, but don’t vote out the incumbents or it will screw everything up.

I think the trouble here is that community development like this is hard to vote on–it turns into yes or no questions that a crowd of potentially uninformed people have to vote on. I would think the solution would be to create some kind of ongoing working group to work through the issues. And it seems like the town and developer has been trying to do that…but not in a way that effectively involves everyone who wants to be involved. I’ll post more to this blog as I have time to think about it more tonight.

]]> By: Ari http://davewrites.com/green_light_for_station_project/comment-page-1/#comment-295 Ari Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:31:03 +0000 #comment-295 I presume you are a Westwood resident, so let me ask you this:<br /> <br /> The blueprint calls for the project to include the area around the Route 128 Amtrak station. As you know, the abutting town of Canton is a mere feet away, on the other side of the former bridge.<br /> <br /> All things being equal, if you were a Canton taxpayer, would you support the project?<br /> <br /> <em>Response from Dave: Thanks for your comment! If I were in Canton, I'd get none of the tax benefits, so my benefits would be the convenience of the shopping and restaurants--and maybe, someday a job closer to home if the project results in a high tech company choosing this location as an alternative to downtown, the northwest 128 area, or 495.<br /> <br /> I would think the detriments would be largely mitigated by the barriers of 1) the train tracks, 2) I95, and 3) the Neponset River, leaving my main concern the cut-through traffic potential on Dedham St. But it will change the area, and I can understand that the stuff I perceive as potential benefits might not be valuable to longtime residents who would only see the potential detriments.<br /> <br /> The idea of a company locating here...it's extremely speculative, but that's kind of what I am thinking long, long term...that a project like this would create a climate under which a small startup-type technology company would consider setting up shop here and be able to find people willing to work "out here" either by commuting out of Boston or by settling here, believing they would still have access to the city.</em> I presume you are a Westwood resident, so let me ask you this:

The blueprint calls for the project to include the area around the Route 128 Amtrak station. As you know, the abutting town of Canton is a mere feet away, on the other side of the former bridge.

All things being equal, if you were a Canton taxpayer, would you support the project?

Response from Dave: Thanks for your comment! If I were in Canton, I’d get none of the tax benefits, so my benefits would be the convenience of the shopping and restaurants–and maybe, someday a job closer to home if the project results in a high tech company choosing this location as an alternative to downtown, the northwest 128 area, or 495.

I would think the detriments would be largely mitigated by the barriers of 1) the train tracks, 2) I95, and 3) the Neponset River, leaving my main concern the cut-through traffic potential on Dedham St. But it will change the area, and I can understand that the stuff I perceive as potential benefits might not be valuable to longtime residents who would only see the potential detriments.

The idea of a company locating here…it’s extremely speculative, but that’s kind of what I am thinking long, long term…that a project like this would create a climate under which a small startup-type technology company would consider setting up shop here and be able to find people willing to work “out here” either by commuting out of Boston or by settling here, believing they would still have access to the city.

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